The present invention relates generally to interface devices and particularly to techniques for improving performance of interface devices while minimizing the amount of memory required for switching between interface screens.
A wide range of interface devices are known and are presently in use in many different fields. In industrial automation, for example, human machine interfaces or “HMIs” are commonly employed for monitoring or controlling various processes. The HMIs may read from or write to specific registers such that they can reflect the operating state of various machines, sensors, processes, and so forth. The interfaces can also write to registers and memories such that they can, to some extent, control the functions of the process. In monitoring functions alone, little or no actual control is executed. In many other settings similar devices are employed, such as in automobiles, aircraft, commercial settings, and a host of other applications. In many applications, the interface may not communicate with a remote device or process, but may be operated in a stand-alone manner.
A difficulty posed in the design and operation of configurable interface devices involves the efficient use of memory and processing capabilities, particularly in representing data and switching between screens. While screens can be configured independently, certain techniques have been developed for sharing screen content between views. However, individual screen views with graphics and dynamic data illustrated in the screen views becomes cumbersome both for memory and processing standpoints as the screens become more detailed, and as the number of screens available to the user increases. Ultimately, the performance of the interface in terms of memory utilization and processing speed suffers, leading to delays in updating data and in switching between screen views.
There is a need, therefore, for improved techniques for the design and configuration of interfaces. There is a particular need for techniques that will improve the speed and efficiency of interfaces in switching between screens and in updating data in viewable screens.